1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gloves for the human hand which are worn when playing sports such as baseball, softball, and the like. In one aspect, this invention relates to a batting glove specifically designed to improve grip, comfort, protection, and performance of a wearer. However, this invention has broader implications and may be advantageously employed in other applications requiring protection of the hands. More particularly, this invention relates to a baseball glove which includes padding in selected areas to provide protection of the hand during use by the wearer while allowing for freedom of movement of finger joints.
2. Description of Related Art
Glove construction for protection of the human hand is well known. In addition, there are a Number of patents which teach gloves claimed to be particularly useful as batting gloves. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,226 teaches a dress glove construction which completely covers the fingers and which includes resiliently expandable materials in selected areas to accommodate hands of different sizes. In contrast, U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,122 teaches a protective glove which has a wrap around construction for a protective glove which leaves the thumb and fingers ends exposed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,609 teaches a protective glove which includes shock absorbing cells disposed at selected portions along the top of the glove. U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,980 teaches a hand glove with a polyurethane foam pad in the palm portion of the glove. Other references attempt to provide a sport glove for supporting and stabilizing the wrist and hand. Current gloves protect the bony prominence areas of the hand. Although hand protection from direct shocks and abrasions is found in gloves of the current art, what is needed is a batting glove which provides improved grip, comfort and performance by unloading bony prominences, unloading pulleys and tendons, and improving finger and knuckle motion of the hand of a wearer by providing preselected thicknesses of preselected materials specifically chosen to protect the wearer from injury from distributed shocks in hitting a ball with a bat, and the attendant risk of long-term injury to the aforementioned bones, ligaments, pulleys, tendons, etc., by repetitive swinging of bats and hitting of balls.
Also, first baseman's mitt for use in baseball and fast pitch softball are well known. These mitts are generally constructed wherein the mitts are of generally circular configuration with a cut-out between a portion to receive a thumb of a wearer and the fingers of a wearer with webbing disposed between the thumb section and the finger section. Mitts are generally constructed to include padding to protect the hand of the wearer. However, very little consideration has been given to specific anatomical portions of the human hands to protect those anatomical portions which are more susceptible to injury when the wearer receives a hard thrown ball.
Also, other baseball gloves, particularly for use by fielders other than first basemen, are well known. These gloves are generally constructed wherein the gloves include a thumb section to receive a thumb of a wearer and a plurality of finger sections to receive the fingers of a wearer with webbing disposed between the thumb section and the finger sections. Gloves are generally constructed to include padding to protect the hand of the wearer. Again, very little consideration has been given to specific anatomical portions of the human hands to protect those anatomical portions which are more susceptible to injury when the wearer receives a hard thrown ball.